Entertainment

Diversity report card: YouTubers get the only 'A' grade of 2015

Editor's note: The volume of conversation around diversity in popular culture hit fever pitch in 2015 — but besides more talk, what was really accomplished this year? One in Mashable's five-part series examining strides made in 2015 in movies, television, online video, gaming and sports.___

LOS ANGELES — When Lilly Singh (known for her Internet persona Super Woman) won "Best First-Person Series" at the 2015 Streamy Awards, she thanked many people, including her parents and fans.

But it was her final thank you that drew a lot of attention.

"Huge, huge shoutouts to Google and YouTube for not being scared to put a brown girl on a billboard," said Singh, referring to the massive YouTube signage across major cities in the U.S. (including Hollywood) that showcase a handful of YouTube creators.

The Toronto native, who is of Indian descent, believes digital is one of the only entertainment industries where diversity is not an afterthought. And many digital creators, executives and fans agree: #TeamInternet is all about inclusion.

The industry's diversity efforts are rooted in online video giant YouTube. Since its inception 10 years ago, YouTube — operating under the motto "broadcast yourself" — has evolved into the go-to space for creators of all ages, races, genders and sexual orientations.

The wide variety of voices and content on Google's video platform has helped to spawn diversity across the digital entertainment industry, with most companies and creators maintaining the same all-inclusive philosophy. And though YouTube is now home to a hub of programming from all parts of the entertainment industry, it's remained true to its democratic nature.

Creators in the digital space feel comfortable being authentic — and viewers not only like these kinds of personal videos, they expect them.

"Diversity in the digital space is second nature," Paula Kaplan, AwesomenessTV's head of talent, tells Mashable. "There's diversity in all of our projects because everything we do needs to reflect our audience."

For example, Kaplan said one of AwesomenessTV's most popular series is My Dream Quinceañera, which follows young women of Latin descent as they celebrate their 15th birthdays.

Still, Kaplan noted, "no industry is perfect."

Like traditional television and film, the online entertainment world still lacks many female head honchos. While multichannel networks have evolved into full-fledged digital entertainment powerhouses, many still don't have women represented at the highest executive level: Maker Studios, Fullscreen, Collective Digital Studio and AwesomenessTV all have male CEOs.

But Kaplan, who spent over 20 years as an executive at Nickelodeon before moving to AwesomenessTV, said the digital space is more inclusive than traditional Hollywood.

"I think digital industry gets a really high mark because there’s so much opportunity," she said. "And the thing I also believe about the digital industry, which is different than traditional, is it is taking more chances and taking more risks. That means you are doing things differently and providing more opportunities for new voices."

"There's more of a democratization in digital in terms of representation because it’s based on real people and communities you grow around them," he tells Mashable.

Martinez, who is of Chinese, Filipino, Hawaiian, English and Mexican descent, pointed to Endemol's ICON Network as a recent example. Launched in March by beauty guru MIchelle Phan, ICON is "a place to help grow and mentor the next generation of lifestyle and beauty creators."

"There are so many examples of really great talent that are ethnically diverse," Martinez said. "Creators who become popular, like Michelle Phan, are popular because people relate to them and they are authentic."

GloZell Green, who has 4 million subscribers to her YouTube channel, can certainly be defined as authentic.

Though she is older than the average YouTube star, Green quickly rose to fame with her funny videos beginning in 2008. She started doing college tours and attending conventions. Now she can say she's interviewed President Obama and has starred in her own show for Verizon's go90 platform.

Image: Tibrina Hobson/WireImage

"The digital space is great for diversity because you get to come up with your own stuff," Green told Mashable. "No one else is mass producing it and saying 'You have to be like this.' You can do your own thing and there's a lot of variety, and you can find your own audience."

Final grade: A

The digital entertainment space has always been pioneering in including people of all stripes, and continued to broaden in 2015.

Mashable
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